Galaxy Chronicles: The Maiden's Tale
by EclipticPhantasm
Summary: What if a human decided to assist the Barians in saving their world? Tsukino Ryuuko, a girl who possesses the power of Chaos, finds herself thrown into the war between the worlds. Will she be able to gather the 10X numbers? Or will the power of Chaos take over her soul?
1. Prologue

Galaxy Chronicles Book 1

Prologue

**A/N: So here's a new idea I happened to think of when I was re-watching the Barian Invasion Arc. I'll try to update this as frequently as I can... but no promises. Enjoy~**

In another dimension, two figures were deep in discussion, their faces shadowed by the hoods of their cloaks.

"… but Durbe! You mean we have to ask a human for help?" one of the figures hissed, piercing blue eyes narrowing in contempt.

"I'm sure that this human is more than capable of helping us. After all, she is one of **them**," the other voice reasoned. "Believe me, Misael, this theory… if it is indeed true, would be the best way to restore our world. Otherwise, we would have to resort to Vector's methods," he continued, as both of them repressed a shudder.

The taller figure nodded, albeit reluctantly. "Very well then. I presume that this operation is to be kept a secret between the both of us then?"

"Of course. This is merely an experiment of sorts, I'm not even sure if my theory is true… yet."

Seconds later, they vanished in a shower of red light.


	2. Chapter 1: Enter Ryuuko

Chapter 1: Enter Ryuuko

**A/N: I'm sorry if I took so long to update I was trying to adapt my writing style to suit Ryuuko's character ^^"**

**The cover picture of this story includes a major spoiler. OVER HUNDRED NUMBERS~ (Yeah I sorta "borrowed" her from Vanguard)**

**As the story progresses, I'll be asking for suggestions for the rest of the 10X cards. As of now, requests for Numbers 110-115 are open ^^ I would prefer that you submit your idea(s) in a review, but you can PM me if you like :)**

**Right, now on with the story ^^**

**Ryuuko: Sa does not own Yugioh ZEXAL in any way, but she owns me.**

~Ryuuko's POV~

"Crap! I'm gonna be late!" I yelled as I sprinted to school, avoiding Obots and pedestrians as I zipped across the pathway towards my school, Heartland Academy.

Oops, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Tsukino Ryuuko, and I'm fourteen this year, which makes me a second year. Thank god I'm finally out of that pink skirt, urgh. As you can see, I'm not a fan of pink, which is probably the hugest understatement of the year. I mean, black is so much cooler.

Right... Where was I? Oh yes, I was late for class, which was actually a pretty rare thing for me, since I'm more of a morning person. Well, my friends, Tetsuo and Yuma, found it fit to race to school, which resulted in Yuma getting his cards stolen by Litterbots, who thought they were trash. Me, being the kind person I am, stayed to help him retrieve them.

Tsukumo Yuma was (and is) my childhood friend. Our parents were good friends, and we would always listen to his father's tales of his adventures around the world. We did practically everything together, and shared many joyful memories... until **that day**.

The day that his father disappeared... it was also the day I lost both of my parents.

"Ryuuko! Come quickly! Tetsuo is dueling someone!" Yuma called out to me, snapping me out of my trip down the memory lane. _'I swear, that guy never seems to run out of energy,'_ I mused, sprinting up the stairs to the roof, where the duel was being held.

"Yuma, Ryuuko, Tetsuo's opponent is..." Kotori muttered worriedly. I frowned, there was no mistaking it, the purple hair and the cruel smirk, Tetsuo was fighting...

"Shark?!" Yuma exclaimed, his ruby eyes widening in shock. Shark was the leader of a gang of bullies in Heartland Academy, and from what I could see, a talented duelist. Did I mention that he's in my class? Yeah, sucks to be me, right? Well, as long as you keep out of his way, you're safe. I think.

Getting out my D-Gazer, which was silver with a black tinted lens, I decided to observe the match.

Tetsuo had an empty field, whereas Shark had two Level 3 monsters, Big Jaws and Skull Kraken. It was still his turn, meaning that he was probably going to...

"Xyz Summon! When there are two or more monsters with the same Level on my field, I can use them as materials and special summon an Xyz Monster!" Shark declared, as his monsters glowed, before disappearing into two beams of light, one light blue and the other dark blue.

"I overlay my Level 3 Skull Kraken and Big Jaws! Xyz Summon! Come! Submersible Carrier Aero Shark!" he continued, as a swirling portal appeared in the middle of the two duelists, and an orange, plane-like monster appeared from it.

"Xyz Summon?" Kotori questioned.

"The special thing about Xyz Summoning is that the material monsters don't go to the graveyard, and instead become Overlay units that support the Xyz Monster!" Yuma explained. "I don't have any Xyz Monsters, but they're amazing!"

I rolled my eyes, typical Yuma. If he listened to my advice once in awhile, he could actually win his duels, but nooo being the stubborn person he was, he always rushed in recklessly... and lost as a result.

Turning my attention back to the duel, I could see that Tetsuo had been backed into a corner, with no way out.

"Go! Aero Shark! Direct Attack!" Shark yelled, as the monster wiped out Tetsuo's remaining Life Points.

_'He wiped the floor with Tetsuo, without taking a single point of damage... Impressive...' _

The Augmented Reality faded away, as I deactivated my D-Gazer, slowly approaching Tetsuo's fallen form.

"As promised, I'll be taking this," Shark smirked, picking up his deck.

"What are you planning to do with Tetsuo's deck?!" Yuma shouted, running towards us, with Kotori close behind. I watched on silently, hoping that things wouldn't get ugly.

"Who are you?" Shark asked, a cruel grin making its way onto his face, as if he had found a new prey.

"I'm Tsukumo Yuma, this guy's classmate," Yuma replied, as two other guys came up to stand next to the purple-haired bully. One of them had hair that looked like clouds **(A/N: It's true!)** and the other one had hair that looked like grass, so I'll just call them Cloud-hair and Grass-head.

"Oi, you know who this person is, right?" Cloud-hair asked, scowling at us threateningly. No shit, Sherlock, I mean, who wouldn't recognize this purple-haired dude who is notorious for taking other people's decks after beating them in a duel?

"Yes, I know," Yuma answered, his expression serious, for once, "The leader of the school delinquents, Shark!"

Shark explained that he and Tetsuo had bet their decks in that duel, and since he had won, he had the right to keep Tetsuo's deck. Tetsuo then explained that the bullies had taunted him until he agreed to duel Shark.

"Then I'll beat you in a Duel, and get Tetsuo's deck back!" Yuma proclaimed, causing me to sweatdrop. Knowing Yuma, he probably won't stand a chance against him, unless he actually listens to me for once.

"Idiot! Shark has the skills to enter a World Tournament!" Cloud-hair chortled.

"He isn't someone you can win against!" Grass-head snickered.

_'So that explains how he defeated Tetsuo so easily...'_ Even though he was a bully, I had to admit, he seemed like a great duelist.

While Shark and Yuma were having a conversation, if you could call it that, about becoming the Duel Champion, I zoned out, recalling the time when I got my first Duel Monster deck.

_~Flashback~_

_"Kaa-san! Teach me to duel, pleaseee?" I begged my mother, who had just beaten my father in a duel, again. _

_"Of course, but you'll need a deck first... I know!" my mother took out a small wooden box, with many intricate carvings on it, and opened it, before handing me a deck of Duel Monster cards. _

_"This was my very first Duel Monster deck, take good care of it, Ryuu-chan," she informed me as I stared at the cards with stars in my eyes. _

_I nodded, "I will, kaa-san!" _

_~End Flashback~_

"You bastard! How dare you!" Way to ruin the moment, Yuma. Wait... Yuma had never sounded this angry since...

I gasped, taking in the sight of Yuma's Emperor Key, a gift from his father, lying in two pieces on the ground. From the looks of it, Shark, being the bully he was, had probably broken it just to spite Yuma.

Smirking, he kicked a piece of the Key off the roof, where it landed in a tree down below.

"Ryuuko! Don't! It's dangero-" Kotori cried, but I had already sprinted towards the railings, a determined look on my face. That Key was Yuma's most precious possession, it was one of the few things that his father left for him, so even if it was just a piece of it, I had to get it back.

Leaping off the edge, I landed safely on the ground, where I began to search for it, leaving the Kotori and Tetsuo gaping at me, as Yuma and Shark were too busy having a staredown.

"Yuma and Shark are going to duel this Sunday, at the park in front of the station," Kotori informed me fifteen minutes later, as she, Yuma and Tetsuo approached me.

"I found it," I called out, handing Yuma the broken piece. Smiling gratefully at me, although it was slightly forced, he held it tightly in his hands, before heading home with the other two. I sighed, it was better if I left him alone for now.

Glancing at the pendant around my neck, I smiled sadly. I knew how it was like to lose an important thing, and not being able to do anything about it. Yuma just needed some time to get over it, like I did.

_'Tou-san, Kaa-san, I'm sorry.'_

**A/N: Well, how was that? It's the first time I've tried introducing an OC like this, so please bear with me... Anyway, the deadline for the submissions (Numbers 110 to 115) will be on 7th December 2013. Chapter 2 will be out soon ^^ Thank you for your support :)**


	3. Chapter 2: Yuma vs Shark

Chapter 2: Yuma vs. Shark

**A/N: I'll probably be switching POVs each chapter, so I apologize in advance... Anyway, Number 113 has been taken by Durbe the Barian, so there are 5 slots left ^^ Remember, the deadline is 7th December 2013~**

**Disclaimer: I don't own ZEXAL, if I did... **

~Normal POV~

"I will congratulate you for not running away in fear, although if you had, your deck would have been safe..." the purple-haired duelist smirked at Yuma, who glared at him in response.

"I'd rather quit being a duelist than flee from someone like you!" Yuma declared.

"Kattobingu da, ore!" he yelled as he set his Duel Disk and D-Gazer.

Shark's goons, Kotori, Tetsuo and Ryuuko had also set their D-Gazers, as the Augmented Reality shimmered into view, linking the five other people in as spectators.

Ryuuko was in her usual casual wear, a pair of jeans with a black top and a black trench coat. She was wearing her pendant, which vaguely resembled a fleur-de-lis, and her silver hair was in two long ponytails.

"Duel!" Yuma and Shark shouted in unison, as their duel began.

"My turn! Draw! I summon Zubaba Knight (3/1600/900) in attack mode, and since I can't attack on the first turn, I end my turn!" Yuma said, as his monster appeared on the field.

Ryuuko sighed, shaking her head in exasperation.

"He really shouldn't have done that..." she muttered, while Shark smirked.

"It's my turn, draw! I summon Big Jaws (3/1800/300)!" a huge shark emerged from a whirlpool of water, its eyes glinting with a feral hunger.

"Woah! 1800 Attack Points?!" Yuma exclaimed, while Ryuuko facepalmed.

_'If this is how he reacts to a monster with 1800 Attack, I wonder what he'll do when Shark Xyz summons...'_

"Zubaba Knight has an Attack power of 1600, while Big Jaws has an Attack power of 1800. When two monsters in attack position battle, the weaker one is destroyed, and you will receive damage points equal to the difference in their attack points!" Shark explained.

"What?! Then I'll take 200 points of damage!" Yuma exclaimed, looking shocked.

"Pfft, that kind of weak monster should have been summoned in Defense Position... Though even if you had a better monster, I am more than capable of destroying it, and your Life Points! I activate the Magic Card Aqua Jet! Until my End Phase, one of my Water attribute monster's attack is increased by 1000 points!" Shark laughed mockingly.

"It's here! Shark-sama's combo!" one of his sidekicks cheered.

"Go, Big Jaws! Wipe out that knight and his Life Points!" he shouted, as the shark zoomed towards Yuma's knight.

"Gah!" Yuma was knocked back as his Zubaba knight disappeared in a shower of sparks, and his Life Points dropped to 2800.

"I'll set one card and end my turn. Big Jaw's attack returns to normal," Shark declared.

**Life Points**

**Yuma: 2800  
Shark: 4000**

"My turn, draw! I summon Gagaga Magician (4/1500/1000) and I equip him with Wonder Wand, increasing his Attack to 2000!" Yuma informed, as a magician appeared on the field, holding a wand that glowed, powering it up.

"Maybe he has learnt something after all," Ryuuko commented, watching as Yuma ordered his magician to attack Shark's Big Jaws.

"Then again, he should be more wary of his opponent's Set cards," she added, as Shark activated his face-down Trap Card, Zeus' Breath, negating Yuma's attack and dealing him 800 points of damage since he had a Water attribute monster on the field.

Tetsuo looked at her curiously, before asking, "Are you really sure you don't play Duel Monsters?"

"... I used to play it," she replied, as she turned back to the match, "... but not anymore," her gold eyes darkened ever so slightly, as she continued to observe.

Meanwhile, Shark had managed to successfully summon Skull Kraken (3/600/1600), destroying Yuma's Wonder Wand with its effect. He was busy taunting Yuma, prompting the black-haired duelist to yell out that he was not going to give up because he believed in himself.

Just then, the Emperor's Key began to glow.

Ryuuko's eyes widened as the key repaired itself, the two halves fusing back together as if they were never broken apart. A bright, golden light surrounded him, causing everyone else to shield their eyes.

"What... just happened..." Kotori muttered, taking in Yuma's shocked expression.

"I overlay my Level 3 Skull Kraken and Big Jaws! With these two monsters, I construct an Overlay Network! Come forth, Number 17: Leviathan Dragon (3/2000/0)!" Shark yelled, his eyes taking on a psychotic gleam.

"Something's wrong..." Ryuuko stated, as a malevolent aura surrounded the delinquent.

"I activate Leviathan Dragon's effect! Once a turn, by detaching one Overlay Unit, I can increase its Attack Points by 500!" he smirked, as he ordered the dragon to attack Yuma's Gagaga Magician, decreasing the other teen's Life Points to 1000.

"Yuma!" Kotori shouted worriedly, as the teen struggled to get up. Ryuuko frowned, before gasping as a telepathic voice flowed through her head.

"Stand up."

Searching for the source of the voice, she saw a blue, human-like being floating next to Yuma, she deduced that it was most probably a male, with his arms folded across his chest. Judging by Yuma's expression, he must have heard him too.

"Let's win," he spoke again, a golden eye, very much like hers, staring straight ahead, brimming with determination.

"Who are you?" they asked the blue being, who seemed surprised that Ryuuko could see him too. The silver-haired girl made her way over to them, drawing quizzical looks from Kotori and Tetsuo.

"Astral," was the only reply he gave, before turning back to the duel.

"Yuma... It seems that only you and I can see him," Ryuuko informed, standing a few meters away from the duo, staring at the spirit curiously.

True enough, Kotori and Tetsuo were asking why he was talking to himself.

"You can't understand my existence, can you?" Astral muttered, his expression unchanging.

"Don't tell me... you're a ghost?!" Yuma yelled, causing Ryuuko to shake her head at his immaturity.

"A ghost? What effect does it have, and when does it activate?" Astral frowned, glancing between the two teens.

"... It seems that he has lost his memory, am I right, Astral?" she asked, turning to the spirit, who merely nodded in reply, while Yuma began to freak out even more.

After five minutes, when the other duelist still could not calm down, she walked up to him and smacked his head.

"Ow... what was that for, Ryuuko?" he complained.

"Don't you feel that something's off with Shark?" she mused, glancing at said duelist, who was watching their interaction silently, "Ever since he summoned Leviathan Dragon, I could feel a dark aura surrounding him, almost as if it was possessing him," she continued, earning a gasp from Yuma.

"I set one card on the field and end my turn," Shark declared, a confident smirk etched onto his face.

"Yuma! Pull yourself together and duel!" Kotori hollered.

"I already am!" he yelled back.

"Duel...?" Astral's eyes lit up in some form of recognition.

"What do you know about dueling?" Yuma asked the blue spirit, whom he still believed was a ghost.

"Lots of things," Astral sounded excited, "I'm a duelist," he stated, as Yuma began to freak out yet again, much to Ryuuko's amusement.

"My turn!"

"No, it's my turn! You can't even touch the cards!"

"I summon Gogogo Golem in defense mode."

"Hey! Stop ignoring me, and it's my duel!"

"You know, Yuma, you really should listen to him," Ryuuko giggled as she watched the two of them.

"Nope, not happening. I summon Gogogo Golem (3/1800/1500) in Attack Position!" Yuma shouted, as his monster appeared in the field.

After a few more minutes of arguing with Astral, he made his next move.

"I activate the Magic Card Blustering Winds, which raises Gogogo Golem's attack by 1000 until my next Standby Phase!" he announced, before attacking Leviathan Dragon with his Gogogo Golem.

As the cloud of dust cleared, Ryuuko's eyes widened in shock. "No way..." she breathed, "The monster wasn't destroyed even though Shark took damage?!"

"Heh, Numbers can only be destroyed by Numbers," the purple-haired teen snickered, as he began his turn.

"Observation 1: This human's duel tactics are by far inferior of my own," Astral remarked, floating next to an indignant Yuma.

Ryuuko burst out laughing, before casting her friend an apologetic glance.

"So... what are tactics?" Yuma asked, causing both of them to sigh in exasperation.

"Never mind," Ryuuko muttered.

"I summon Drill Barnacle (3/300/0) in Attack Position!" Shark scowled, as a grey barnacle with drill bits appeared on his side of the field.

Both Astral and Ryuuko breathed a sigh of relief.

"I activate Leviathan Dragon's effect! I detach Big Jaws to raise its Attack Points by 500!"

"A total of 3000 Attack Points, meaning 200 points of damage and 800 Life Points remaining..." Ryuuko murmured, "After Drill Barnacle's Direct Attack, he would still have 500 Life left..."

True enough, Yuma managed to scrape through the turn, although Drill Barnacle gained 1000 Attack Points via its own effect.

Astral began to fade slightly, his glow dimming as he berated Yuma for not listening to his advice.

"I remember now," he stated, "The Numbers are pieces of my memory."

"In a duel between Number holders, the stronger holder absorbs the weaker holder's Number..." he mused.

"If you don't win this duel, I'll be erased from this world," he said, causing Yuma to gape at him, and Ryuuko to frown, becoming lost in her thoughts as the duel progressed.

"... Xyz Summon! Number 39: Aspiring Emperor, Hope!" Yuma's cry snapped her out of her reverie as she glanced at his Number in shock.

"Hope attacks Drill Barnacle! After that, I end my turn!" Yuma concluded, as Astral smirked slightly in triumph.

**Life Points**

**Yuma: 500**

**Shark: 2500**

"My turn, draw! Although you've managed to summon a Number, you're still not match for me! I activate the Magic Card Surface! It allows me to Special Summon Big Jaws (3/1800/300) from my graveyard in Defense Position," Shark sneered, as the metal shark appeared on the field again.

"Now, I tribute him to summon Jawsman (6/2600/1600) in Attack Position!" he yelled, as Big Jaws vanished in a flash of yellow light, a large purple monster with multiple mouths taking its place.

"Jawsman's effect raises its Attack Points by 300 for each Water attribute monster on his field except itself," Ryuuko, who had walked back to Kotori and Tetsuo, mused, staring intently at the purple-haired teen.

_'If he was possessed by the Number, why wasn't Yuma?' _

"This is the end! Leviathan Dragon attacks Hope!" Shark laughed, as the dragon took aim at the black-haired duelist, who panicked until Astral informed him that he could use Hope's effect to negate the attack.

"Tch, you're just stalling, now I'll attack with Jawsman!"

"Not so fast! I activate my Trap Card, Bye Bye Damage, which inflicts double the damage I received on you!" Yuma grinned as he revealed his face-down. Gritting his teeth in frustration, Shark activated his face-down as well, Booming Urchin, which would deal Yuma 1000 points of damage during the water duelist's next Standby Phase.

**Life Points**

**Yuma: 100**

**Shark: 1700**

"He'll settle it this turn," Ryuuko smiled, her expression confident.

"Draw! I attack Leviathan Dragon with Hope and negate his attack with his own effect!" Yuma shouted, as Tetsuo sighed, calling him an idiot.

"I won't be too sure if I were you," the golden-eyed girl remarked, as Yuma activated his Quick Play Spell, Double or Nothing!, which doubled Hope's attack and granted it a second attack, destroying Leviathan Dragon and wiping out Shark's remaining Life Points.

**Life Points**

**Yuma: 100  
Shark: 0**

**WINNER: YUMA **

"The dark presence is fading..." Ryuuko muttered to no one in particular, as she made her way over to Shark's fallen form, watching how his 'friends' abandoned him out of cowardice.

"Guh..." as the delinquent slowly regained consciousness, he was aware of the two golden eyes staring at him as the girl, whom he recognized as Tsukino Ryuuko from his class, helped him up silently.

Making his way over to Yuma, Tetsuo and Kotori, who were busy celebrating, he fulfilled his end of the bargain, returning the deck to Tetsuo.

"Tsukumo Yuma... I'll remember this," he muttered, before slowly walking off.

"I had lots of fun! We should duel again someday, this time, without betting our decks!" Yuma exclaimed. Shark made a noise of acknowledgment before turning away.

"Congratulations, Yuma," Ryuuko smiled, as Astral called him 'Toma' again, prompting an indignant shout from said duelist and a bout of giggles from the silver-haired girl.

**A/N: Phew, I finished this in an hour~ Stay tuned for the next chapter, when the Barians make contact with Ryuuko ^^ Things are gonna get interesting~ **

**Thank you for sticking with this story, I really appreciate it :) **

**Eclipse, out~**


	4. Chapter 3: My Life Just Got Weirder

Chapter 3: My Life Just Got Weirder

**A/N: UPDATE SPREE XD I have so many ideas for this, I can't stop updating ^^"**

* * *

~Ryuuko's POV~

You know something is wrong with you when:

a) You see a blue spirit floating around your childhood friend.

b) You wake up with a major headache the next day.

c) The pendant your parents gave you for your seventh birthday starts talking to you.

d) A card your mother entrusted to you opens a portal into another dimension.

e) All of the above.

Like I said, I woke up with a throbbing head, so I stayed home and looked through my parents' old stuff, and I found a bunch of research notes written in some sort of code. They looked slightly similar to the writing on Number 39, before Astral told is its name and effect.

A sudden burning in my chest made me look down. I gasped, the red jewel in my pendant was glowing crimson, I had to cover my eyes to avoid being blinded.

**"... you hear me?"**

My eyes widened as I took in the ethereal quality of the voice, similar to Astral's but deeper. It sounded like a male, but I could not be too sure.

**"Can you hear me, daughter of Tsukino Reika?"** the voice spoke again. Yep, definitely male.

"Who... are you?" I whispered shakily, wondering if he could even hear me.

**"I am Durbe of the Seven Barian Emperors,"** he replied. My eyes widened, as I recalled a story my kaa-san once told me.

_~Flashback~_

_"Once upon a time, there was a land of blue. The people there lived happily, without the fear of death or disease. Some of the people in that kingdom could wield a great power, the power of Chaos. One day, for an unknown reason, Chaos users were banished to another dimension, a world where everything was blood red," my mother murmured as I lay on my bed, attempting to fall asleep. _

_"That's not fair kaa-san... they didn't do anything wrong!" I exclaimed, glaring at the blue colored people in the battered book. _

_My mother only smiled sadly at me, "You're right, Ryuu-chan, they didn't."_

_~Flashback End~_

"Barian... so what kaa-san said was true, huh..." I muttered, mostly to myself, but I guessed Durbe heard it.

**"Reika? What did she tell you?"** he asked, his tone inquisitive.

I told him about the story, but paused when I heard him make a surprised sound.

**"She probably planned it... giving you the pendant and telling you that story... Tell me, daughter of Reika, did she leave behind any... hints regarding this?"** he questioned.

"First of all, my name's Ryuuko, not "daughter of Reika", and secondly, I managed to salvage some notes, but they look like they are written in code... " I replied, almost unable to believe that this was happening. Then again, I did see Astral yesterday so...

**"Pardon me, Ryuuko, I believe that your mother planned for you to travel to the Barian World. The 'code' that you speak of is probably just Barian Glyphs, our form of writing,"** Durbe explained, as I tried to take it all in.

"Kaa-san... she once said that your world was in danger... why?"

**"... The Astral World, the 'blue world' in the story, is attempting to destroy our world. They sent a messenger to Earth, and scattered his memories as 100 Number Cards. He has to gather all of them to obtain the Numeron Code, which he will use to write our world out of existence,"** Durbe sounded angry, and worried?

"It's not your fault! Your people can't help but wield Chaos, you don't deserve to be wiped out of existence!" I burst out, before I could stop myself, "Uh... sorry about that..." I muttered, feeling my cheeks heat up in embarrassment, before my eyes widened, as I remembered something.

_~Flashback~_

_"Kaa-san! What's that?" I asked, as my mother walked into the room, holding a card in her hand. _

_"This? Oh, it's a new card..." she replied._

"Let me see!" the child-me cried, as my mother bent down to show it to me.

_"Kaa-san, why is there a Number on it?" I questioned. She froze, before her gaze turned serious. _

_"Ryuu-chan, this card is called an Over Hundred Number. According to an old legend, if you gather all of these, you can save a world," she explained, as I sat on the floor next to her, enraptured. _

_"Like the red world? I wanna save the red world!" I declared. _

_She smiled at me, before her face turned grave, "Ryuu-chan, one day, I'll entrust this Number to you... when that day comes, promise me you'll only use it when necessary. It's powerful, and that means it's dangerous. With great power... " _

_"...comes great responsibility, I know, I know," I giggled. _

_~Flashback End~_

"Over Hundred Numbers..." I breathed, before running to my room, taking out the wooden box my mother had given me. Inside lay my decks, and the few cards I managed to salvage all those years ago.

"Number 125: Goddess of the Full Moon, Tsukuyomi," I whispered, my eyes misting over with tears as I recalled the times I dueled with my parents, the laughter and joy that filled the air... I closed my eyes, so caught up in the memories that I failed to see the glow emanating from the card, nor the portal sucking me into another dimension.

* * *

The first thing I saw when I regained consciousness was red.

Red crystals were everywhere, scattered on the red ground, even the sky was red.

_'Am I in the Barian World?'_ I wondered, slowly rising to my feet. It seemed like I was in a cave of sorts.

"Tsukino Ryuuko," another voice spoke to me. It was feminine, gentle yet serious.

"Will you assist the Barian World?" she asked, as I gasped, the familiarity of the voice hitting me.

"Kaa-san!" I cried, watching as she shimmered into view, her body glowing faintly in the dim light of the crystals.

She smiled sadly at me, "You've grown up, Ryuu-chan... The stories I told you about the red world are true. Only you can help them, only you can lead them out of the darkness," she continued, as I struggled to find words, finally settling on nodding my head.

"I knew you would choose that. This is not the real me, it is merely an illusion, preserved in this cave to guide you on your journey," she explained, "To save their world, you need to construct a Numeron Code using the Over Hundred Numbers."

"Like Tsukuyomi?" I asked her.

"Yes... Like Tsukuyomi. The notes I left behind and the writing on the box will help you. Farewell, my daughter," with that, she vanished.

I sighed sadly. Even though she wasn't real, it was nice to have my kaa-san back for awhile.

Pulling on a long, black cloak that I found in the cave, I exited it, finding myself surrounded by red, with no other living thing in sight.

"Great," I muttered, "Now how do I get out of here?"

After fifteen minutes of aimless walking, a crystal palace came into my field of view. Throwing a mini-party in my head, I hastened my pace.

**"What happened?"** Durbe finally managed to contact me again.

"Well, I somehow managed to open a portal to the Barian World, and now I'm kinda stuck here," I think I summarized it pretty well.

**"What?!"** Another voice joined Durbe's, who made a noise of surprise. I halted my footsteps, spotting a few armed guards at the entrance of the palace. They was like how my mother had described them, they had no mouths, and their skin were in different colours. Some of them even had wings.

"Barians..." I gasped softly, before darting behind a large crystal, in fear of being spotted.

**"Where are you right now? We have to get you somewhere safe. The Barian World is no place for humans!"** Durbe sounded frantic, which was rather unlike him.

"I'm near a dark purple crystal palace..." I whispered, hoping that the guards would not hear me.

**"This keeps getting worse. I knew it was a bad idea, asking a human for help..."** the other person muttered.

"Hey! What do you mean by that? My kaa-san said that only I could collect all the Over Hundred Num-" I hissed in reply, but got interrupted as two cloaked figures materialized in front of me.

I flinched, taking a few steps back.

"It's alright, Ryuuko," one of them said. I instantly recognized Durbe's voice, so I relaxed my stance, allowing them to lead me away from the ominous-looking palace, and towards a lone Barian in the distance, who seemed to be expecting us.

"This is Misael, my knight," he said, as they removed their hoods, revealing their true forms. Durbe had wisteria-colored skin with two blue markings on the sides of his face, dark grey eyes, and a slightly lighter shade of grey for his hair. He was wearing a navy blue robe, as he gestured to the other Barian.

My golden eyes met piercing blue ones, their owner's face hidden behind a white mask-like object on his face. Orange-blond hair framed his face, and a yellow hand emerged from the cloak, pointing towards the Barian approaching us.

"The Oracle wishes to meet you," he muttered. He did not seem to like humans much, I observed, turning towards the other figure.

"My name is Lilianne, it is a pleasure to meet you, Tsukino Ryuuko," she smiled, well, the Barian equivalent of a smile. She had bright orange eyes, light blue skin and long flowing dark blue hair. The amber gems on her body sparkled in the dim light.

"I spoke to my kaa-san when I arrived here, or at least, an illusion of her. She said that I could gather all the Over Hundred numbers and create a Numeron Code to prevent the destruction of your world," I informed them.

This set off a variety of reactions.

"It can't be! There are more Over Hundred Numbers?" Durbe exclaimed, looking shocked.

"How are you so sure that this human speaks the truth?" Misael eyed me suspiciously. (He got scolded by Lilianne, which was pretty funny. Don't tell him I said that.)

"It seems like we underestimated you, Reika," Lilianne remarked, prompting me to ask them how they knew my mother.

"Ah, that... Will be explained when the time is right," was all she said, as she led us to a large crystal dome.

"Now then, Reika asked me to teach you how to wield the power of Chaos. Apparently, it awakened when you touched the card she gave you, and brought you here," she explained, drawing gasps from the other two Barians.

"Wait... Does this mean that I'm stuck here till I can figure out how to use my powers?!" I looked horrified, which seemed to amuse the three of them.

"I'll miss school! Oh wait that's a good thing," I muttered, earning myself three quizzical looks.

"Humans dislike school?" Durbe asked.

"Well... Most of us do. I just dislike it because the lessons are boring. I'd rather read up the material than listen to the teacher drone on and on about it," I replied, as we reached the entrance of the dome-like structure.

"You'll be living here with me, until you learn to how to use Overlay Networks to travel," Lilianne said, before shooing the two Barian Emperors out (can she even do that?!) and leading me to my room.

I plonked down on my bed and closed my eyes, letting everything sink in.

"Okay, my life just got much, much weirder."

* * *

**A/N: Well, that's that! I'm sorry if it was a really short chapter, but I was trying to keep everyone in character. Lilianne (my OC) is the Barian Oracle, she basically makes prophecies. **

**Anyway, Numbers 110 and 113 are taken, so be sure to submit your entries before it's too late ;)**

**Eclipse, out!~**


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